Wrench.



W. M. MBBK.

WRENCH.

APPLIoATIoN FILED MAR. 4, 190s.

91 6,468r Patented Mar. 30, 1909. /z'sursfTs-SHBBT 1.

STAllzlS PATENT OFFlOE.

WiLLIAM M. Mann,

OF SEATTLE, WA`SHINGTON, ASSIGNOR O1" ONll-l-IALF TO IMOGEN M. lLAMBERTON, Ol? MOUNTAIN HOME, IDAHO.

WRENCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

patented March so, 1909.

Application filed March 4, 1908. Serial'No. 419,186.

T0 all whom it may concern:

Beit known that 1, VvrILLIAM M. MEEK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Seatle, in the county of King, State of Washington, haveinvented certain new and usei'ul Improvements in Wrenches; and l dohereby declare the icllowing to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to wrenches, and more articularly to quick actingmonkey wrene ies.

'The object of the invention is to provide a device of this characterwhich will be quick and positive in action, cheapto manufacture, andwhichwill enable the operator to adjust the Wrench to any desired sizeof nut, within ,the scope of the jaws, in a very rapid manner,

without having to operate the adjusting nut.

Afurtherobject of the invention is the provision of means which enablesthe operator to positively move the jam or adjusting nut away from itsrack in a straight line and to eHect this movement with the thumb of thehand which is used in applying the wrench. Heretofore,l in wrenches ofthis type, the lower jaw has been rocked on the shank of the wrench, orthe adjusting nut has been ivoted to move at an angle to the shank. ithsuch a construction the adjusting nut has very little movement adjacentits pivotal point and very frequently the threads on the nut at suchpoint will not disengagc Alrorn their rack connection.

It is the object ol my invention to obviate such dilhculties, andAbroadly speaking consists in so mounting the adjusting nut that itmoves in a plane substantially parallel to the shank and thereby freesall of its threads from the rack simultaneously.

In the drawing nhich forms a part of this application, Figure l is aside elevation of the wrench, Fig. 'Z is a similar viera'Y with one sideof the lower j av.'Y l'rame in section. Fig. 2? is a detail perspectiveview of the adjusting nut frame, removed from the wrench, with theadjusting nut journaled therein, and, Fig. 4 is a sectlonal viewshowing-the nut pressed away from the rack teeth.

Referring more especially to the drawings 1 represents a shank,preferably rectangular in cross section, one end of whichserves as anoperating handle while at its opposite end it is provided with atransversely extending upper 2. Extending along the front face of theshank and )rejecting therefrom are a series of diagonally arranged teeth3 forming a rack, chich will be spoken ol hereinafter. 'l'he lower jaw5, 'wlnch is bored in the usual manner to permit its disposition uponthe shank, is provided with a transverse rectangular passage 6 whichopens through the rear wall of said jaw and is intersected at rightangles by the above-mentioned bore. ll ithin said assage there isdisposed a hollov; rcctangu ar frame 7 which carries at its forward endaperipherally threaded rotatable nut 8 whose opposite ends are journaledin the top and bottom plates of said frame, the side plates ol` ulrichlatter as well as the side walls of the lower jaw are cut away at suchpoint so as to expose the nut and permit access thereto. rl`his nut hasits threads held normally in engagementI with the rack teeth 3 by meansof a leaf spring 9 which is located within the passage (j and is securedcentrally to the inner face of the front n all of the sliding ja n', theopposite ends of said spring bearing against the front plate of saidframe, the top and bottom plates of which are provided with slots l()through which the shank extends, thel length of said slots beingslightly greater than the thickness of the shank, to permit a slidingmovement of the frame, transversely of the latter, under the tension ofthe spring. rthe lorgth of the sliding lrame is such that its rear endprojects through the open rear wall ol' the jaw 5 when the nut and rackare in engagement, such end forming an operating portion by means ofulrich the frame may be moved innardlj,r against the action olI thespring, to disengage the nut from the rack vhen the position ol thesliding jaw is to he adjusted, the sidel walls of said jaw being out auay or concaved at their rear edges, to allord further access to thel'ramc end.

ln operation, the thumb of the handavhich applies the wrench pressesupon the projecting cnd of the frame and forces the latter in- \.\.ardlyagainst the tension of the spring 9. 'lhis carries the nut S out ofengagement with the rack teeth 3, whereupon the lower jaw can then bemoved as desired. lf the adjustment is not line enough the nut may' berotated to move the jaw gradually on the rack teeth. It will be seenthat the adjusting nut always moves in a planeparallel to the shank andthereby frees all of its threads simultaneously the spring 'returningthe nut and frame to normal pressure is released.

What is claimed is A Wrench com rising a shank provided with a toothedslde and a relatively xed Jaw on one end, a relatively movable jaw.slidabiy mounted on the shank and having a transverse openingtherethrough on the toothed side of said shank and apassage Wider thansaid shank formed in said jaw intermediate its length (perpendicular tosaid transverse opening an extending through the side of the movable.jaw opposite said opening, a hollow block slidable Within said positionsas soon as the passage and having a slot therethrough for the passage ofsaid beyond the teeth of the same, a eripherally threaded rotatable nutmounted to turn in said block and enga e the teeth of the shank, and aspring locate within said opening between the front Wall thereof and theinner end of said block, said spring tendin to hold the'outer end ofsaid block beyond t e plane of the movable jaw and said nut inengagement with the shank teeth.

, In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature, in presence of twoWitnesses.

WILLIAM M. MEEK;` l/Vitnesses n THOMAS B. MAoMAHoN,

HENRY W. C. SonErP.

shank and extending

